A Kiambu magistrate yesterday disqualified herself from a criminal case against a lawyer and a businessman.

Principal magistrate Stella Atambo ordered the file to be placed before another magistrate on September 19 for further direction.

Atambo cited personal reasons for her decision.

The case was on July 26 allocated to Atambo by magistrate Teresia Nyangena who was to hear it after principal magistrate Justus Kituku who handled it first was transferred.

In the case, lawyer Patrick Ngunjiri Maina and Viktah Ngunjiri Maina are accused of making a false land transfer document and obtaining registration of land by false pretence between March 5, 2011 and March 14, 2012.